Annual

Report

2014

Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador

& CISPES Education Fund

A Letter from Our Executive Director

Dear Friend of El Salvador,

In June, I had the honor of attending the inauguration of Salvador Sanchez-Cern,

the first popular movement leader to be elected president of El Salvador.

It was a hard-won victory for which the Salvadoran people have been fighting for
generations and for which thousands gave their lives: the right to elect one of their
own.

You were there with us in spirit. We are so grateful to everyone whose financial
support has made it possible for our staff and volunteers to play a critical role
in accompanying this historic peoples victory so many decades in the making.

This year, CISPES gave everything we had to ensure the Salvadoran people could
participate in a truly democratic election, free of US intervention.

Were thrilled to report that, for the first time in history, no US Congressperson
or State Department official publicly attempted to sway the election results
read on to find out how we held our government to this position of strict neutrality!
Many of our election observers hadnt even been born yet when Reagan began his
war on the Salvadoran people. But that didnt diminish the impact of witnessing
their efforts to build a just and democratic society first-hand.

As we toured the transformative new projects of the FMLN government, one young
delegate remarked, In the US, its one attack after another on healthcare and
education. I want to be part of defending a country where the government is
improving the lives of the poor.

Unfortunately, several times this year weve been called to do just that defend El
Salvadors advances in the face of outrageous US backlash (more details inside).

These recent victories against US interventions demonstrate the power and

importance of international solidarity. Our solidarity and your support will
continue to be essential in the months and years ahead.
With El Salvador joining the leftward tide in Latin America, its an exciting time
filled with possibilities. I hope this report inspires in you some of the hope that our
young organizers have inspired in us this past year.
As our Salvadoran partners in struggle have proven once again, S se puede!
With heartfelt thanks,

Alexis Stoumbelis, Executive Director, CISPES Education Fund

CISPES and the CISPES Education Fund can be reached at:

1525 Newton St. NW, Washington D.C. 20010
voice: 202.521.2510 / fax: 202.332.3339
email: cispes@cispes.org; web: www.cispes.org

July 2013 - June 2014 Program

Historic Election Accompaniment

El Salvadors March 2014 Presidential elections were extremely high stakes. Would
the right-wing with help from friends in Washington take back the government
and roll back all of El Salvadors progress? Or would a leftist popular movement
leader become the next President and deepen the transformation underway?
With US corporate interests threatened by an
FMLN victory, we waged strong campaigns on
local, national and international levels to keep
US intervention out of the equation. CISPES
contributed to the freest and fairest elections
in Salvadoran history by:

Winning US Neutrality

Mobilized over 50 Congressional Representatives to call on the State Department

to issue a public commitment to impartiality
Generated media buzz that pushed the US Ambassador in El Salvador to publicly
state US support for whomever was elected
Publicized official statements of US neutrality in Salvadoran press

Monitoring the Elections

Brought one of the largest international missions

100 delegates! to bear witness to every stage of the
electoral process
Provided international presence at right-wing street
protests to prevent violence

Defending the Results

Affirmed the integrity of the electoral process in the face

of right-wing destabilization attempts through our blog, social
media, radio & TV interviews in Salvadoran media
Became a principal news source for US media on El
Salvadors election, including interviews with the Washington
Post and Democracy Now
Worked with Congressional offices to pressure the State
Department to acknowledge the FMLN victory, which they did
(2 weeks later)!

Special thanks to
SHARE Foundation,
US-El Salvador Sister
Cities, Food & Water
Watch, US Food
Sovereignty Alliance,
Oxfam, and others for
their solidarity
throughout many of
these campaigns!

July 2013 - June 2014 Program

Cross-Border Action & Advocacy

Alongside US and Salvadoran allies, CISPES went head-to-head with the US State
Department on economic policy several times this year and won!

Water: A human right, not a commodity

Last spring, the FMLN successfully fought to

exclude water from the US-backed publicprivate partnership law. In August 2013,
the Salvadoran rightwing with support
from the US Ambassador tried to put
water back on the chopping block.

CISPES targeted the US Embassy with an

action alert echoing the demands of labor and environmental activists who flooded
the streets to defend this public resource. Thanks to unified Salvadoran resistance
and pressure from CISPES, the Embassy shied away from insisting on water
privatization as a condition for development aid.

Seed: Salvadoran Farmers vs. Monsanto

The US Embassy threatened to withold $277 million in aid again in June 2014
because the Salvadoran government was sourcing seeds from local farmers rather
than allowing transnational corporations (like Monsanto) to compete. CISPES stood
with family farmers and shamed the State Department into backing off for now.
Held a joint press conference & rally with campesino organizations, exposing

this intervention in the Salvadoran and US media

Mobilized 16 Congressional
Reps to write letters to Secretary of
State Kerry
Convened a coalition of 50
international development,
environmental, trade policy and
food sovereignty organizations to
denounce attacks on the
poverty-reducing Family Agriculture
Plan

July 2013-June 2014 Program

Education & Movement-Building

Road to Victory Speaking Tour

Leaders from militant teachers union ANDES-21 de Junio toured the US with
CISPES in November 2013. Through presentations, news interviews, and meetings
with Congress & labor allies, they:
Informed community members & policymakers about advances in universal education
under the FMLN government
Built union solidarity & shared strategies
with the National Educators Association,
American Federation of Teachers, and more!

Strategic Campaign Development: Training for Trainers

CISPES activists of all ages convened in Boston to gear up for our fall election
work with a weekend of intensive skill-building. Participants returned to their
chapters energized and equipped to train their members and launch local
campaigns. Workshops included:
Grassroots lobbying
Recruiting new members
Strategic campaign planning
Messaging & media work
Plus lots of fun community-building
activities!

Human Rights Activists Under Fire: Human rights defenders in El

Salvador were violently targeted in the wake of a September 2013
announcement that the Supreme Court would consider challenges to the
Amnesty Law, which has maintained impunity for crimes committed during the
civil war. Archbishop Romeros historic human rights office, Tutela Legal, was
abruptly shut down while Pro-Bsqueda, an organization that searches for
disappeared children, was raided by robbers who set fire to their archives.

CISPES helped bring international attention to these attacks by:

accompanying protests in San Salvador mobilizing 1000 people to
take action co-sponsoring a letter with 60 signatories generating
coverage in LA Times & Democracy Now! raising emergency funds for
archival recovery

Fun di n g Chan ge i n El S alv ador

This year, the CISPES Education Fund contributed $10,000 to Salvadoran social
movement organizations. Through tours, delegations and Bike-a-Thons, our
committees raised funds to support those organizing to build a new El Salvador.

FMLN National Womens

Secretariat
The Womens Secretariat promotes
womens leadership and political
participation in order to address
socioeconomic
exclusion
and
violence. With these funds, the
Womens Secretariat organizes trainings and assemblies that build
class and gender consciousness.
Salvadoran Social & Union Front
The Frente Social y Sindical Salvadoreo (FSS) is
a coalition of over 60 unions founded in 2005
to demand changes to El Salvadors economic
model. With these funds, the FSS provides
trainings for new union organizers to learn
labor history and collective bargaining skills.

FMLN Youth Secretariat, San Salvador

After decades of marginalization, it is an urgent priority to
re-integrate youth into political and social organizing. With these
funds, the Youth Secretariat mobilizes young volunteers to lead
literacy circles in their communities, helping thousands of Salvadorans
empower themselves through reading and writing.
Strategic Organizing Fund
This fund responds to urgent needs that arise for the Salvadoran
social movement, including mobilizations and strikes. Projects led by
women are prioritized, as are those that may not get funded by
more mainstream sources.

WHO WE A RE

Our Grassroots Chapters

As a national grassroots solidarity

organization, our chapters are at
the heart of our work!

Join us in:

Boston
New York
DC
Olympia, WA
Seattle

Portland, OR
San Francisco
Santa Cruz
Los Angeles

CISPES Board of
Directors

Cherrene Horazuk, President

Madeline Baer, Secretary
Tom Leonard, Treasurer
Sha Grogan-Brown
Burke Stansbury
Krista Hanson
Directors

CISPES Education Fund National Leadership

Board of Directors:

Josh Elliot, Olympia, WA

Laura Embree-Lowry, Austin, TX
David Ayala, Seattle, WA
Efrain Rodriguez, Boston, MA
David Amdur, Stamford, CT
Mattie Conway, Santa Cruz, CA
Allison Aguilar, Washington, DC
Hilary Goodfriend, San Salvador

Alexis Stoumbelis:
Executive Director
Lisa Fuller:
Program Director

Janae Choquette:
Development Director

Jacob Blickenov:
National Organizer

Emily Richardson:
Administrative Coordinator

Gracias Lisa y Bienvenida Laura!

CISPES expresses our profound gratitude to

out-going Program Director Lisa Fuller as
she embarks on the next chapter of her
work for social justice. Lisas passion,
commitment, & playful spirit have
strengthened CISPES for over a decade.
Were also excited to welcome our new
Program Director, long-time solidarity
activist Laura Embree-Lowry and her
family to the National Office!

Sean ONeill, David Grosser:

Western & Eastern States Development Coordinators

Karl Kramer,Allen Hines,Frankie Austin-Ochoa,Nicola Chvez Courtright:

Local Chapter & Election Campaign Coordinators
Anthony Flores, Janette Linares, Matthew Hurt:
San Salvador Interns

Financial Picture

Percentages for
expense
allocations are
from the
Sources of Revenue
Allocation of Expenses
audited accounts
of CISPES &
CISPES Education
Program: 70.3%
Individual donations:
Fund for FY2013.
Fundraising: 23.4%
86%
Other figures
are unaudited
Admin: 6.3%
Program/Misc: 14%
data from
FY2014.
Audited figures
from 2014 will
be available in
early 2015.
Totals by
Contributions to CISPES are not tax-deductible. To make your
account and
gift tax-deductible, write your check to the CISPES Education further detail
Fund. To contribute cash or to make a bequest or gift of stock, available upon
request.
contact Emily Richardson: (202) 521-2510 ext. 203

Total: $ 441,316

Total: $ 403,831

CISPES gratefully acknowledges the support

of this years most generous donors

Peter Alexeas, Aris Anagnos, Grace Anderson, Thomas Angotti, Andrew Anisimov,
Hal & Paula Baron, Lou Barsky, Michael Bartanen, Roger Beck, Jo Beecher, Becca &
Nate Blumenshine, George & Eleanor Bollag, Linda & Michel Bollag, Blase & Theresa
Bonpane, Hugh Brady, Sheila Brady, Nancy Braus & Richard Geidel, Duane Brown,
Judy & Frederick Buechner, Sally Butterfield, Wes Callender, Jim Campen & Phyllis
Ewen, Courtney Cazden, Tom Choquette, Lynn Clowes, Robert Corbitt, Betty & Corkey
Custer, Frank Demarest, Harry Demarest, Daniel Derry, Joan Dible, John Diehl, David
Dunning, John Durham, Cliff & Lisa Earle, Peter Edberg, Wally Elliot & Phyllis Palmer,
Alvin Eshe, Barbara Francisco, Katrina Frey, John Fries, Linda Gochfeld, Tami Gold,
Richard Goodwin & Judith Bell, Mimi Grosser, Renata & John Hahn-Francini, Krista
Hanson, Susan Hanson, Craig Harmer, Angelica Harter, Gay & Dick Harter, Jack
Hartray, Jim Haynie, Bob Hearst, Brent Hymer, Greg Kafoury, Carolyn & Martin
Karcher, Richard Kortum, Fayette Krause, Mary Kruse, Daniel Kurtz, Jone
Labombard, John Lamperti, Larry Lewin, Chris Lloyd, Robin Lloyd, Sue & Art Lloyd,
Phyllis Lucero, Zella Luria, Mark Mathews, Cynthia McClintock, John McDonald, Pat
McSweeney, Lenore Migdal & William Lloyd, Mary & E.L. Mongan, Robin & Michael
Nimkoff, Felicia Oldfather, Ken Olum, Hilvie Ostrow, Michael Prokosch, Alan Purdy,
Doris Reed, Jim & Jan Rettig, Carlos Rivera Quijano, David Rohrlich, Jack Sawyer,
Sandra & Dan Scheinfeld, David Schweickart, Susan Scott, T.M. Scruggs, Jerry
Silbert, Elizabeth Sloss, Nancy Smith & David Rockwell, Stephen Snyder, Stan
Sorscher, Burke Stansbury, Michael & Mary Jo Stansbury, Ann Stokes, Ellyn Tanner,
Murray Tobak Trust, Max Toth, Linda Tubach & Bob McCloskey, Phil Villers, Mark
Wainger & Rhoda Woo, Jim Wallace, Tom Wallace Lyons, Bill Weiss, George
Wilshire Nelson, Winky Foundation, Richard & Cheryl Yoder-Edney, Phillip Zaeder
& Sylvia Thayer, Carolyn Zecca Ferris, Charles Zug. Special thanks to our sustainers.
Mil gracias to all of our supporters, volunteers & allied organizations we
couldnt do it without you!
We honor the memory of long-time supporters who passed away this
year: Robert Corbitt, Richard Decker, Sue Johnson, Lillian King, J. Gordon Legg, Judy

Leurquin, Warren Rempel, Bernice Rosen, Richard Stanewick, Lee Tollefson, TK Wang, Edmund
Weingart, Marjorie Williams, Ann Yasuhara, Henry Young, & Mary Young Presente!